Dan Lanning Reacts to 'Disgusting' Hit on Quarterback Dante Moore

LOS ANGELES - The No. 20 Oregon Ducks defeated the No. 12 USC Trojans in a heated rivalry matchup.

After the win, Lanning offered the updates that he had on Moore's status, and the Oregon coach even made a recruiting pitch once the press conference ended. Lanning mentioned his 3-0 record over USC, telling players to come to Oregon if they want to win games instead of attending a "Chris Brown concert" in Los Angeles.

There does not appear to be any love lost between the two programs, but Lanning revealed that USC coach Lincoln Riley quickly asked about the status of Moore after the game. The other most notable moment from Lanning's media availability came when addressing the targeting penalty from linebacker Desman Stephens II that ultimately knocked Moore out of the game.

oregon ducks dan lanning usc trojans dante moore injury hospital targeting penalty dylan raiola big ten jamari johnson — Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) is carried on a stretcher with an apparent injury after being tackled by USC Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II (not pictured) during the second quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Stephens II was charged with targeting on the play. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Here is what the Oregon coach said after beating USC:

Dante Moore Injury Update

“He’s in recovery so I don’t want to speak too soon but he is moving and he does have the ability to move," said Lanning.

"Credit to Lincoln, he asked about Dante after the game. I don't think that's anything he coaches, but there's a reason targeting exists in football, and that's clear-as-day targeting. It's a shame that that happened to a good player."

Dan Lanning's Reaction to the Late Hit

"In that moment for me, I challenged myself to focus on the moment and the things that I can control. Their team has absolutely nothing to do with what I have to do, and what we have to do. So we tried to have a singular focus."

"Our guys respect the game. I don't think you'd ever see that from our players, I don't think you'd see that from our coaches. And again, I don't think that's necessarily an indictment on coach (Lincoln) Riley, because I can't speak to what I didn't see. And I know he was quick to voice his concern for our player, so I appreciate that from him."

"But, it's a disgusting play. You don't want to see it happen. It's disappointing that it happened. I'm praying that our player's healthy, and I'm praying that their player can learn from that situation, because that's not a moment you want to be a part of."

On the Dante Moore Hit

"In my mind, that certainly could have been avoided, so it's disappointing that that would happen. But, I thought our players did a great job of resetting. And on that note, they still great violence and energy to make sure that they could take advantage of what happened to the team there."

Pitch to High School Recruits

"Three wins these guys (USC). I guess if you're interested in winning football games and you're from this area, you should go to Oregon. If you want to go to the Chris Brown concert, you should go here."

Coliseum Crowd Reaction

"I watched three of their TV games, I haven't seen a game packed yet. But we were here. it was packed tonight. So I guess when the Ducks show up, that's how you fill up the Coliseum, and we were got to take advantage of that."

On Dylan Raiola

"Dylan was great, man. I think a lot of times, when guys come into that situation, they fell like all the sudden they have to press. I think what gave Dylan confidence is he's like 'I got great players around me, I'm gonna take what they give me.' Probably a couple decisions tonight where I'm like, 'OK that's probably not where we wanted the ball to go.' Very few of those."

"A lot of decisions where he made the great decision to get rid of the ball. I thought he utilized his ability to scramble at times, make plays. . . could have been sacks, but he did a great job continuing down the field and keeping his eyes downfield. I don't know what he finished, but the guy operated. Threw for almost 300 yards, 19 of 25, two touchdowns. I mean that's the kind of performance you get excited about."

Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola celebrates a touchdown by Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"I'm very proud of Dylan, and we've all seen it. That that moment happens in sports a lot of times, when guys who weren't ready, and they stepped up. And that becomes the story, and it's 'Oh that guy wasn't ready for his moment.' Regardless of how Dylan performed, I love that guy. He works so hard, incredibly hard, to put himself in position to have success and be successful. And he came in and operated, man."

"We've seen that go other ways before, and regardless of what happened, I would've been proud of him. To know that he put in the work, the prep, was ready for his moment. And again, he didn't try to come in and force it. He just played the game. I thought Drew (Mehringer) called an unbelievable game. Especially in the second half, really controlled the clock."

"I can't say enough good things about Dylan, and it's why he came here."

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